Disposable Absorbent Article with Overlapping Absorbent Assembly Secured to Front and Back Panels

ABSTRACT

A disposable absorbent article has front and back panels, each having an elastic film layer and each having first and second zones. The first zone of each panel is extensible and retractable and the second zone of each panel is non-extensible and non-retractable. Each of the front and back panels has first and second side edges. An absorbent assembly is secured to the front and back panels. The absorbent assembly has a first end secured to the second zone of the front panel and a second end secured to the second zone of the back panel. A pair of seams join the front and back panels together at the first and second side edges to form a disposable absorbent article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/449,988filed on May 20, 2003. The entirety of application Ser. No. 10/449,988is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A disposable absorbent article is designed for absorbing human exudate.The disposable absorbent article is similar in appearance, size andshape to a regular cloth underwear except that it is not designed to belaundered and reused two or more times. A disposable absorbent articleis intended to be worn by persons, including infants, toddlers, oradults, and is designed for single or temporary use. The disposableabsorbent article is meant to be disposed of after being used once. Thedisposable absorbent article is designed to be pulled up around theuser's torso without having to first open the garment in order to placeit on a person's body. The stretchability of the material used toconstruct the disposable absorbent article permits the garment to snuglyconform to the anatomy of the user's torso. The disposable absorbentarticle can be manufactured to be an infant diaper, a child trainingpant, an adult incontinence garment, a feminine menstrual pant, etc.

Some disposable absorbent articles manufactured today resemble regularcloth underwear in that they have a waist opening and a pair of legopenings. Such disposable absorbent articles can be pulled up around thetorso of a user in a similar fashion as regular cloth underwear. It hasbeen found that a disposable absorbent article is generally morediscreet when the front and back elastic panels snugly conform to thewearer's anatomy. It has also been found that a more comfortable articleis obtained when the absorbent assembly does not extend and retract tomatch the movement of the front and back elastic panels.

Now a disposable absorbent article for absorbing human exudate has beeninvented that allows the front and back elastic panels to extend andretract without causing the absorbent assembly to move in a similarfashion thereby providing a better fit to the user's body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, this invention relates to a disposable absorbent article forabsorbing human exudate and a method of forming the article. Thedisposable absorbent article includes a front panel and a back panelwith each having a first zone and a second zone. The first zone isextensible and retractable and the second zone is non-extensible andnon-retractable. Each of the front and back panels also has an innersurface and first and second side edges. The second zone of each panelis spaced inward from the first and second side edges. An absorbentassembly bridges across and is secured to the front and back panels. Theabsorbent assembly includes a liquid pervious bodyside liner, aliquid-impervious outer cover and an absorbent positioned therebetween.The absorbent assembly has a first end and a second end. The first endis secured to the second zone of the front panel and the second end issecured to the second zone of the back panel. The absorbent assembly iscapable of being folded to enable the first and second side edges of thefront panel to align with the first and second side edges of the backpanel, respectively. A pair of seams join the front and back panelstogether at the first and second side edges to form a disposableabsorbent article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable absorbent article.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the spaced apart front and back panels showingthe first and second zones.

FIG. 3 is a plane view of a disposable absorbent article showing anabsorbent assembly secured to the inner surfaces of the front and backpanels and showing a partial cut away view of the construction of theabsorbent assembly.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the disposable absorbent article shown in FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable absorbent articleshown in FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable absorbent articleshown in FIG. 3 taken along line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method used to manufacture the disposableabsorbent article of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a disposable absorbent article 10 is depicted. Thedisposable absorbent article 10 is intended to be worn by persons,including infants, toddlers, or adults, and is designed for a single ortemporary use. The disposable absorbent article 10 is meant to bedisposed of after being used once instead of being laundered or drycleaned for re-use. The term “disposable absorbent article” is hereindefined to mean an absorbent article that is inexpensive and can bediscarded by the consumer once it becomes soiled or otherwise unusableafter a single use or after a few uses. In the context of disposablepersonal care absorbent articles, such articles are normally disposed ofafter they are soiled and are not meant to be laundered or treated forre-use and are distinguishable from limited use articles that can beused several times before being discarded, such as disposable razors andcigarette lighters. The disposable absorbent article 10 is designed tobe pulled up around the user's torso without having to first open thearticle 10 in order to place it on a person's body. In FIG. 1, thedisposable absorbent article 10 is shown as it would appear just priorto being pulled up around a user's torso.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the disposable absorbent article 10 has alongitudinal central axis X-X, a transverse central axis Y-Y, and avertical central axis Z-Z. The disposable absorbent article 10 includesa front panel 12 having a first zone 14 and a second zone 16. The firstzone 14 is extensible and retractable in at least one direction.Desirably, the first zone 14 is extensible and retractable in two ormore directions. When the first zone 14 is extensible and retractable inonly one direction, that direction should be approximately parallel tothe transverse central axis Y-Y of the disposable absorbent article 10.The second zone 16 is non-extensible and non-retractable. The secondzone 16 can be of any geometrical configuration but a rectangular orsquare configuration works well. The second zone 16 has a surface areathat is smaller than the surface area of the first zone 14. Desirably,the second zone 16 has a surface area that is less than about 25% of thesurface area of the first zone 14. More desirably, the second zone 16has a surface area that is less than about 20% of the surface area ofthe first zone 14. Most desirably, the second zone 16 has a surface areathat is less than about 15% of the surface area of the first zone 14.

Still referring to FIGS. 2-4, the front panel 12 also includes an innersurface 18 and an outer surface 20. The inner surface 18 is in directcontact with the user's skin and is sometimes referred to as thebodyside surface. The outer surface 20 is situated opposite to the innersurface 18 and is spaced away from the skin of the user. The outersurface 20 is sometimes referred to as the garment facing surface sinceit can be in direct contact with the inner surfaces of the user's outerclothing.

Referring to FIG. 2, the front panel 12 further includes a first end 22,a second end 24, a first side edge 26 and a second side edge 28. Theoverall size and shape of the front panel 12 can vary to suit the sizeand anatomy of the actual user. For example, the front panel 12 of aninfant diaper will be smaller than the front panel 12 of an adultincontinence garment. The first and second zones, 14 and 16respectively, can be integrally formed from a single material or theycan be formed from separate and distinct materials. The second zone 16is spaced inward from the first and second side edges 26 and 28. Thesecond zone 16 is also shown having an edge that is coterminuous withthe second end 24 of the front panel 12. The second zone 16 is locatedadjacent to or in an abutting relationship to the first zone 14.However, the second zone 16 should not overlay or be covered by anyportion of the first zone 14. Desirably, the second zone 16 issurrounded on three sides by the first zone 14, as is shown in FIG. 2.

The front panel 12 can be formed from a material that is extensible andretractable in at least one direction. By “extensible” it is meant amaterial that is capable of being stretched, extended or elongated whena force, such as pulling, is applied to it. By “retractable” it is meanta material that is capable of quickly recovering, retracting orreturning to substantially its pre-stretched, pre-extended dimensiononce the force used to extend the material has been removed. Because ofhysteresis, a material might not be able to fully recover or return toits original pre-stretched length. Some materials might be extensiblebut are not retractable. For example, many conventional textile andnon-woven materials, that lack an elastic component, are extensible butlack retractability to return rapidly to substantially theirpre-stretched dimension. Such materials, including but not limited to, acotton knit T-shirt material or blends of cotton and non-elasticsynthetic fibers can be extended but are not considered retractable forthe purposes of this invention unless some elasticizing material, agentor treatment is added.

The front panel 12 can be formed from an elastomeric material. Anelastomeric material can be a single elastic sheet or layer, an elasticfilm, an elastic net-like material, a plurality of elastic strandsarranged to form an elastic layer, an elastic laminate, etc. When aplurality of elastic strands is utilized, they can be positioned on atleast one layer of woven or non-woven material. When an elastic laminateis used, it can consist of two or more layers bonded together by heat,pressure, heat and pressure, adhesives, ultrasonics, or a combination ofany of the above. Other means of securing one or more layers together toform a laminate structure are known to those skilled in the art. In alaminate, only one of the layers needs to be an elastomeric layer.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the front panel 12 is shown being formedas a three-layer laminate structure. The front panel 12 includes a firstlayer 30, a second or middle layer 32, and a third layer 34. The firstand third layers, 30 and 34 respectively, are the outer layers and canbe formed from the same material or from different materials. The firstand third layers, 30 and 34 respectively, can be constructed fromnatural or synthetic fibers and can be a woven or non-woven material.The second or middle layer 32 has the elastic properties and issandwiched between the first and third layers, 30 and 34 respectively.It should be noted that one or both of the outer layers 30 or 34 can bemade from an elastic material, if desired.

The extensible and retractable properties of the first zone 14 of thefront panel 12 can be in one direction but desirably are in two or moredirections. More desirably, the extensible and retractable properties ofthe first zone 14 are in a direction approximately parallel to thetransverse central axis Y-Y. The transverse direction extends laterallyacross the torso of the user of the disposable absorbent article 10 andextends from one hip bone to the other hip bone. Even more desirably,the extensible and retractable properties of the first zone 14 are in atleast two directions, one direction being approximately parallel to thelongitudinal central axis X-X and the other direction beingapproximately parallel to the transverse central axis Y-Y. Mostdesirably, the extensible and retractable properties of the first zone14 are in multiple directions, or stated another way, in three or moredirections extending over an arc of 360 degrees. The ability of thefirst zone 14 to extend and retract will provide the requisite forceneeded during use of the disposable absorbent article 10 to ensure thatit snugly conforms to the anatomy of the wearer's torso.

The front panel 12 can be constructed from various materials. Onesuitable material is a stretch bonded laminate (SBL) where the elasticcore or middle layer 32 is elongated before the two outer nonwovenlayers 30 and 34 are attached. Exemplary SBL materials are described inU.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415 which is hereby incorporated by reference andmade a part hereof. Another suitable material for the front panel 12 isa necked bonded laminate (NBL). The NBL material is also a three-layerlaminate but the elastic core or middle layer 32 is not pre-stretchedprior to being attached to the two outer nonwoven layers 30 and 34.Instead, the outer layers 30 and 34 are necked stretched before theelastic core or middle layer 32 is attached to them. Exemplary NBLmaterials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,545 which is herebyincorporated by reference and made a part hereof. Other examples ofelastomeric materials that can be used for the front panel 12 include acontinuous filament stretch bonded laminate (CFSBL), a vertical filamentlaminate (VFL), a necked stretch bonded laminate (NSBL) and a neckedthermal laminate (NTL). Combinations of the above materials can also beused. Exemplary CFSBL materials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,775which is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

Furthermore, the front panel 12 can be constructed from an elastic filmthat is capable of being stretched in at least one direction. Desirably,the front panel 12 can be stretched in both the machine direction(approximately parallel to the longitudinal central axis X-X) and thecross-direction (approximately parallel to the transverse central axisY-Y). The front panel 12 can also be formed from an elastic nonwoventhat has a machine direction stretch and/or a cross-direction stretch.

Still further, the front panel 12 can be formed from two outer layers 30and 34 with a plurality of elastic strands sandwiched therebetween. Theelastic strands can be formed from LYCRA®. LYCRA® is a registeredtrademark of E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., having an office at 1007Market Street, Wilmington, Del. 19898. The elastic strands can bealigned approximately parallel to one another or be angled or skewedrelative to one another. The elastic strands can also be uniformly orrandomly spaced apart from one another. The elastic strands can vary inshape, size, configuration, and/or length. The diameter and/orcross-sectional configuration of the elastic strands, the decitex(weight in grams per 10,000 meters of a strand) of the elastic strands,and the tension imparted into the elastic strands can all be varied tosuit one's particular product needs. The elastic strands can have around, semi-circular, square, rectangular, oval or some othergeometrical configuration. The elastic strands can overlap, intersect orcrisscross at least one other elastic strand. The various ways ofpositioning, orienting, and adhering the elastic strands to the twoouter layers 30 and 34 are well known to those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the front panel 12 can also be constructed froma material that is substantially air permeable, if desired.Alternatively, the front panel 12 can be constructed from a materialthat is substantially air impermeable.

The front panel 12 can be formed from a single integral elastomericmaterial that exhibits both extensible and retractable characteristics.The material can then be treated, fused, deadened, chopped, conditionedor somehow altered so as to form the second zone 16. The elasticproperties of the material can be deadened before, during or after thematerial is stretched. Hammering the material between two hardenedsurfaces can cause the material to lose its extensible and retractableproperties in a given area. The material can also be treated with heat,pressure, heat and pressure, ultrasonics, chemicals, by mechanicalmeans, or a combination of the above to remove its ability to elongateand retract. In this fashion, the second zone 16 can be formed.Alternatively, the second zone 16 can be a separated material that doesnot possess any extensible and retractable properties. In this case, thesecond zone 16 is secured to the first zone 14 in order to construct thefront panel 12.

Referring again to FIG. 2, one can see that the first zone 14 of thefront panel 12 encloses three sides of the second zone 16. Likewise, thefirst zone 38 of the back panel 36 encloses three sides of the secondzone 40. This construction ensures that the second zones 16 and 40 aresituated adjacent to an end, 24 or 48 respectively, of the front andback panels, 12 and 36 respectively.

Referring again to FIGS. 2-4, the disposable absorbent article 10 alsoincludes a back panel 36 which is spaced apart, discontinuous anddistinct from the front panel 12. The back panel 36 has a first zone 38and a second zone 40. The first zone 38 is extensible and retractable inat least one direction. Desirably, the first zone 38 is extensible andretractable in two or more directions. When the first zone 38 isextensible and retractable in only one direction, that direction shouldbe approximately parallel to the transverse central axis Y—Y of thedisposable absorbent article 10. The second zone 40 is non-extensibleand non-retractable. The second zone 40 can be of any geometricalconfiguration but a rectangular or square configuration works well. Thesecond zone 40 has a surface area that is smaller than the surface areaof the first zone 38. Desirably, the second zone 40 has a surface areathat is less than about 30% of the surface area of the first zone 38.More desirably, the second zone 40 has a surface area that is less thanabout 25% of the surface area of the first zone 38. Most desirably, thesecond zone 40 has a surface area that is less than about 20% of thesurface area of the first zone 38.

It should be noted that the second zone 40 of the back panel 36 has alarger surface area than the second zone 16 of the front panel 12. Onereason for this is that the front panel 12 usually has a smaller overallsurface area than the back panel 36. The back panel 36 is typicallylarger in size for it has to cover the buttocks of the user.

Still referring to FIGS. 2-4, the back panel 36 also includes an innersurface 42 and an outer surface 44. The inner surface 42 is in directcontact with the user's skin and is sometimes referred to as thebodyside surface. The outer surface 44 is situated opposite to the innersurface 42 and is spaced away from the skin of the user. The outersurface 44 is sometimes referred to as the garment facing surface sinceit can be in direct contact with the inner surfaces of the user's outerclothing.

The back panel 36 further includes a first end 46, a second end 48, afirst side edge 50 and a second side edge 52. The overall size and shapeof the back panel 36 can vary to suit the size and anatomy of the actualuser. For example, the back panel 36 for an infant diaper will besmaller than the back panel 36 for an adult incontinence garment. Thefirst and second zones, 38 and 40 respectively, of the back panel 36 canbe integrally formed from a single material or they can be formed fromseparate and distinct material. The second zone 40 is spaced inward fromthe first and second side edges 50 and 52. The second zone 40 is alsoshown having an edge that is coterminuous with the second end 48 of theback panel 36. The second zone 40 is located adjacent to or in anabutting relationship to the first zone 38. However, the second zone 40should not overlay or be covered by any portion of the first zone 38.Desirably, the second zone 40 is surrounded on three sides by the firstzone 38, as is shown in FIG. 2.

The back panel 36 can be formed from the same material or from adifferent material as the front panel 12. The back panel 36 isextensible and retractable in at least one direction. The definitionsfor “extensible and retractable” are as defined above with reference tothe front panel 12. The back panel 36 can be formed from an elastomericmaterial. An elastomeric material can be a single elastic sheet orlayer, an elastic film, an elastic net-like material, a plurality ofelastic strands arranged to form an elastic layer, an elastic laminate,etc. When a plurality of elastic strands is utilized, they can bepositioned on at least one layer of woven or non-woven material. When anelastic laminate is used, it can consist of two or more layers bondedtogether by heat, pressure, heat and pressure, adhesives, ultrasonics,or a combination of any of the above. Other means of securing one ormore layers together to form a laminate structure are known to thoseskilled in the art. In a laminate, only one of the layers needs to be anelastomeric layer.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, the back panel 36 is shown beingformed as a three-layer laminate structure. The back panel 36 includes afirst layer 54, a second or middle layer 56, and a third layer 58. Thefirst and third layers, 54 and 58 respectively, are the outer layers andcan be formed from the same material or from different materials. Thefirst and third layers, 54 and 58 respectively, can be constructed fromnatural or synthetic fibers and can be a woven or non-woven material.The second or middle layer 56 has the elastic properties and issandwiched between the first and third layers, 54 and 58 respectively.It should be noted that one or both of the outer layers 54 or 58 can bemade from an elastic material, if desired.

The extensible and retractable properties of the first zone 38 of theback panel 36 can be in one direction but desirably are in two or moredirections. More desirably, the extensible and retractable properties ofthe first zone 38 are in a direction approximately parallel to thetransverse central axis Y-Y. The transverse direction extends laterallyacross the torso of the user of the disposable absorbent article 10 andextends from one hip bone to the other hip bone. Even more desirably,the extensible and retractable properties of the first zone 38 are in atleast two directions, one direction being approximately parallel to thelongitudinal central axis X-X and the other direction beingapproximately parallel to the transverse central axis Y-Y. Mostdesirably, the extensible and retractable properties of the first zone38 are in multiple directions, or stated another way, in three or moredirections extending over an arc of 360 degrees. The ability of thefirst zone 38 to extend and retract will provide the requisite forceneeded during use of the disposable absorbent article 10 to ensure thatit snugly conforms to the anatomy of the wearer's torso.

The back panel 36 can be constructed from various materials. Onesuitable material is a stretch bonded laminate (SBL) where the elasticcore or middle layer 56 is elongated before the two outer nonwovenlayers 54 and 58 are attached. Another suitable material for the backpanel 36 is a necked bonded laminate (NBL). The NBL material is also athree-layer laminate but the elastic core or middle layer 56 is notpre-stretched prior to being attached to the two outer nonwoven layers54 and 58. Instead, the outer layers 54 and 58 are necked stretchedbefore the elastic core or middle layer 56 is attached to them. Otherexamples of such elastomeric materials that can be used for the backpanel 36 include a continuous filament stretch bonded laminate (CFSBL),a vertical filament laminate (VFL), a necked stretch bonded laminate(NSBL) or a necked thermal laminate (NTL). Combinations of the abovematerials can also be used.

Furthermore, the back panel 36 can be constructed from an elastic filmthat is capable of being stretched in at least one direction and,desirably, in both the machine direction (approximately parallel to thelongitudinal central axis X-X) and the cross-direction (approximatelyparallel to the transverse central axis Y-Y). The back panel 36 can alsobe formed from an elastic nonwoven that has a machine direction stretchand/or a cross-direction stretch.

Still further, the back panel 36 can be formed from two outer layers 54and 58 with a plurality of elastic strands sandwiched therebetween. Theelastic strands can be formed from LYCRA®. LYCRA® is a registeredtrademark of E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., having an office at 1007Market Street, Wilmington, Del. 19898. The elastic strands can bealigned approximately parallel to one another or be angled or skewedrelative to one another. The elastic strands can also be uniformly orrandomly spaced apart from one another. The elastic strands can vary inshape, size, configuration, and/or length. The diameter and/orcross-sectional configuration of the elastic strands, the decitex(weight in grams per 10,000 meters of a strand) of the elastic strands,and the tension imparted into the elastic strands can all be varied tosuit one's particular product needs. The elastic strands can have around, semi-circular, square, rectangular, oval or some othergeometrical configuration. The elastic strands can overlap, intersect orcrisscross at least one other elastic strand. The various ways ofpositioning, orienting, and adhering the elastic strands to the twoouter layers 54 and 58 are well known to those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the back panel 36 can also be constructed from amaterial that is substantially air permeable, if desired. Alternatively,the back panel 36 can be constructed from a material that issubstantially air impermeable.

The back panel 36 can be formed from a single integral elastomericmaterial that exhibits both extensible and retractable characteristics.The material can then be treated, fused, deadened, chopped, conditionedor somehow altered so as to form the second zone 40. Hammering thematerial between two hardened surfaces can also cause the material tolose its extensible and retractable properties in a given area. Thematerial can also be treated with heat, pressure, heat and pressure,ultrasonics, chemicals, by mechanical means, or a combination of theabove to remove its ability to elongate and/or retract. In this fashion,the second zone 40 can be formed. Alternatively, the second zone 40 canbe a separated material that does not possess any extensible andretractable properties. In this case, the second zone 40 is secured tothe first zone 38 in order to construct the back panel 36.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 3-5, the disposable absorbent article 10also includes an absorbent assembly 60. The absorbent assembly 60includes a liquid pervious bodyside liner 62, a liquid-impervious outercover 64, and an absorbent 66 positioned therebetween. A surge layer 68can be optionally used which is located between the bodyside liner 62and the absorbent 66. The surge layer 68 can function to rapidly acquireand temporarily retain body fluid, such as urine, before it can beabsorbed into the absorbent 66. Desirably, the surge layer 68 is alsocapable of wicking the body fluid lengthwise and/or widthwise across itssurface, as well as directing the body fluid downward in a z-direction(approximately parallel to the vertical axis Z-Z) toward the absorbent66.

The absorbent assembly 60 has a first end 70, a second end 72, a firstside edge 74 and a second side edge 76. Desirably, the absorbentassembly 60 is secured to the inner surface 18 of the front panel 12approximate the first end 70 by an attachment 78 and is secured to theinner surface 42 of the back panel 36 approximate the second end 72 byan attachment 80. Alternatively, the absorbent assembly 60 could besecured to outer surface 20 of the front panel 12 approximate the firstend 70 by the attachment 78 and could be secured to the outer surface 44of the back panel 36 approximate the second end 72 by the attachment 80.The absorbent assembly 60 is secured to the front and back panels, 12and 36 respectively, either before or after each panel 12 and 36 hasbeen stretched a predetermined amount. By attaching the absorbentassembly 60 to the front and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively, theabsorbent assembly 60 is capable of moving downward away from the user'storso while the front and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively, maintaintheir snug position against the user's torso. This unique ability forthe absorbent assembly 60 to move outward and downward away from theuser's torso without undue restrictions from the front and back panels,12 and 36 respectively, produces a useful undergarment. The absorbentassembly 60 is capable of taking in and retaining additional body fluidas it moves out away from the user's body.

The attachments 78 and 80 can be by various means and can includepermanent attachments as well as removable or releasable attachments.Desirably, the attachments 78 and 80 are permanent attachments wherethey are not designed to be removed without destroying the bond. Theattachments 78 and 80 can be formed by using glue, adhesive, ultrasonicbonds, heat bonds, pressure bonds, heat and pressure bonds, acombination of any of the aforementioned, etc. The attachments 78 and 80can also include a mechanical fastener, such as by sewing with thread,using buttons and button holes, using snaps, by employing hook and loopfasteners, etc. A hook and loop fastener is generally considered areleasable attachment. One type of hook and loop fastener is VELCRO®wherein a hook material is releasably engaged into a loop material.VELCRO® is a registered trademark of Velcro USA, Inc. having an officeat 406 Brown Avenue, Manchester, N.H. 03103.

The attachments 78 and 80 can be formed along a continuous line or overa surface area having a predetermined length and width. Alternatively,the attachments 78 and 80 can consist of intermittent point bonds thatare spaced apart from one another. For example, the intermittent pointbonds can be formed by using a hot or cold melt adhesive or by formingultrasonic bonds. Various bond formations can be used which are known tothose skilled in the art. Desirably, the attachments 78 and 80 areformed using intermittent bonds.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, one will notice that the absorbentassembly 60 is positioned to overlay the second zones 16 and 40 of thefront and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively. Each of the second zones16 and 40 can have the same width dimension or a width of a differentdimension. Desirably, each of the second zones 16 and 40 has a width ofthe same dimension. The width of the absorbent assembly 60 can begreater than, equal to or less than the width of either of the secondzones 16 and 40. However, the absorbent assembly 60 is secured only tothe second zones 16 and 40 so as not to extend and retract with themovement of the first zones 14 and 38 of the front and back panels, 12and 36 respectively. This method of attachment will assure that theabsorbent assembly 60 remains relatively stationary while the front andback panels, 12 and 36 respectively, are capable of extending andretracting in correspondence to movement of the user's torso. In FIGS. 3and 4, one will also notice that the absorbent assembly 60 is positionedsuch that a greater portion of it is located over the back panel 36 thanover the front panel 12. This placement of the absorbent assembly 60over a greater portion of the back panel 36 provides a betterfunctioning disposable absorbent article 10, especially one that isdesigned to absorb both body fluid from the penis or vagina, as well assolid and semi-solid excrement from the anus. In addition, the frontpanel 12 is usually smaller in size than the back panel 36. This sizedifference also influences the placement of the absorbent assembly 60over a greater portion of the back panel 36. The result is that thefirst end 70 of the absorbent assembly 60 is secured to the front panel12 at a location that is closer to the second end 24 of the front panel12 than it is to the first end 22. Likewise, the second end 72 of theabsorbent assembly 60 is secured to the back panel 36 at a location thatis closer to the second end 48 of the back panel 36 than to the firstend 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, one will notice that when the absorbentassembly 60 is secured to the front and back panels, 12 and 36respectively, a crotch region 82 is formed. The crotch region 82separates the front panel 12 from the back panel 36 and is designed tocover the perineum area of the wearer. The crotch region 82 can cover adistance of a few inches in an infant diaper to several inches in anadult incontinence garment. For example, a crotch region 82 in an infantdiaper may range from about 2 inches (about 5 centimeters (cm)) to about10 inches (about 25 cm); while in an adult incontinence garment, thecrotch region 82 may range from about 6 inches (about 15 cm) to about 20inches (about 51 cm).

The absorbent assembly 60 can be stretchable or non-stretchable inrelation to the front and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively.Desirably, the absorbent assembly 60 is non-stretchable in relation tothe front and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively. By having theabsorbent assembly 60 be non-stretchable in relation to the front andback panels, 12 and 36 respectively, it is meant that the absorbentassembly 60 will not stretch appreciably in the longitudinal ortransverse directions. For example, the absorbent assembly 60 will haveless than about 50% of the stretch of the front and/or back panels, 12and/or 36 respectively. Desirably, the absorbent assembly 60 will haveless than about 25% of the stretch of the front and/or back panels, 12and/or 36 respectively. More desirably, the absorbent assembly 60 willhave less than about 10% of the stretch of the front and/or back panels,12 and/or 36 respectively. Most desirably, the absorbent assembly 60will have less than about 5% of the stretch of the front and/or backpanels, 12 and/or 36 respectively.

The reason for making the absorbent assembly 60 non-stretchable is thatthe front and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively, are elasticallystretchable and can expand and contract to snugly conform to the user'sanatomy, especially to the wearer's torso. The absorbent assembly 60 isdesigned not to expand and contract as the front and back panels, 12 and36 respectively, stretch or retract since the absorbent assembly 60 isbonded to the non-extensible and non-retractable second zones 16 and 40.This feature allows the absorbent assembly 60 to remain positioned overthe user's perineum. As the absorbent assembly 60 receives body fluidand/or excrement discharged by the wearer, it will be displaced outwardand downward, away from the user's torso. The ability of the absorbentassembly 60 to move outward away from the user's torso as additionalbody fluid is absorbed and retained is a direct result of the fact thatit is not restricted from such movement in the crotch region 82 by thefront or back panels, 12 and 36 respectively. The attachments 78 and 80assure that the absorbent assembly 60 covers the perineum but is capableof moving outward away from the torso as additional body fluid isreceived and retained.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, the disposable absorbent article 10also has at least one elastic member 84 positioned adjacent to andaligned approximately parallel to each of the first and second sideedges 74 and 76 of the absorbent assembly 60. Each of the elasticmembers 84 is situated between the bodyside liner 62 and the outer cover64. The elastic members 84 provide a gasket to hold the first and secondside edges, 74 and 76 respectively, of the absorbent assembly 60 againstthe user's body. Each of the elastic members 84 can be in the form of anelastic strand, ribbon or strip. Desirably, from two to six elasticmembers 84 will be positioned adjacent to each of the first and secondside edges, 74 and 76 respectively. In FIGS. 3 and 6, two elasticmembers 84 are shown positioned adjacent to each of the first and secondside edges, 74 and 76 respectively. The elastic members 84 are shown ashaving a round cross-sectional configuration although various othergeometrical configurations can be utilized. The elastic members 84extend parallel to the longitudinal central axis X-X and extendcompletely through the crotch region 82. Desirably, the ends of theelastic members 84 will be located within the front and back panels, 12and 36 respectively.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, the absorbent assembly 60 is capable ofbeing folded transversely, approximate the transverse central axis Y-Y,to enable the first and second side edges 26 and 28 of the front panel12 to align with the first and second side edges 50 and 52 of the backpanel 36, respectively. A pair of seams 88 and 90 is then formed to jointhe front panel 12 to the back panel 36. The seam 88 secures the secondside edge 28 of the front panel 12 to the second side edge 52 of theback panel 36 while the seam 90 secures the first side edge 26 of thefront panel 12 to the first side edge 50 of the back panel 36. One willnotice that FIG. 3 is an open view of the interior of the disposableabsorbent article 10 and the front panel 12 is folded along thetransverse central axis Y—Y such that the front panel 12 lies over thetop of the back panel 36. After folding and forming the pair of seams 88and 90, the disposable absorbent article 10 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.The disposable absorbent article 10 has a waist opening 92 and a pair ofleg openings 94 and 96. Since the front and back panels, 12 and 36respectively, are formed from a stretchable elastic material, the waistopening 92 and the pair of leg openings 94 and 96 can expand or contractin size to accommodate the anatomy of the user.

Method

Referring now to FIG. 7, a flow diagram is depicted showing a method ofmanufacturing the disposable absorbent article 10. The method includesthe steps of forming a front panel 12 having a first zone 14 and asecond zone 16. The first zone 14 is extensible and retractable and thesecond zone 16 is non-extensible and non-retractable. The front panel 12also has an inner surface 18, an outer surface 20, a first side edge 26and a second side edge 28. Furthermore, the second zone 16 is spacedinward from the first and second side edges, 26 and 28 respectively. Themethod also includes forming a back panel 36 having a first zone 38 anda second zone 40. The first zone 38 is extensible and retractable andthe second zone 40 is non-extensible and non-retractable. The back panel36 also has an inner surface 42, an outer surface 44, a first side edge50 and a second side edge 52. Furthermore, the second zone 40 of theback panel 36 is spaced inward from the first and second side edges, 50and 52 respectively, of the back panel 36. The method further includesforming an absorbent assembly 60 having a liquid pervious bodyside liner62, a liquid-impervious outer cover 64, and an absorbent 66 positionedtherebetween. The absorbent assembly 60 has a first end 70 and a secondend 72 and the absorbent assembly 60 is secured to the front and backpanels, 12 and 36 respectively. The first end 70 of the absorbentassembly 60 is secured to the second zone 16 of the front panel 12 andthe second end 72 of the absorbent assembly 60 is secured to the secondzone 40 of the back panel 36. The absorbent assembly 60 can be securedto either the inner or outer surfaces 18 and 42 or 20 and 44 of thefront and back panels, 12 and 36 respectively. The absorbent assembly 60is capable of being folded to enable the first and second side edges, 26and 28 respectively, of the front panel 12 to align with the first andsecond side edges 50 and 52 respectively, of the back panel 36. Lastly,the method includes joining the front and back panels, 12 and 36respectively, together by a pair of seams 88 and 90 at the first andsecond side edges 74 and 76 to form a disposable absorbent article 10having a waist opening 92 and a pair of leg openings 94 and 96.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specificembodiment, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modificationsand variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light ofthe aforegoing description. Accordingly, this invention is intended toembrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A disposable absorbent article comprising: a) a front panel and aback panel, each comprising an elastic film middle layer sandwichedbetween two nonwoven layers, each panel having a first zone and a secondzone, said first zone of each panel being extensible and retractable andsaid second zone of each panel being non-extensible and non-retractable,each panel also having a first end, a second end, a first side edge anda second side edge, wherein within each panel, said elastic film middlelayer extends from said first side edge to said second side edge alongan entire length of said first end and said elastic film middle layerextends from said first end to said second end along an entire length ofsaid first side edge and along an entire length of said second sideedge, and said second zone of each panel is spaced inward from saidfirst and second side edges of each said panel and inward from saidfirst end of each said panel; b) an absorbent assembly including aliquid pervious bodyside liner, a liquid-impervious outer cover, and anabsorbent positioned therebetween, said absorbent assembly having afirst end and a second end, said absorbent assembly being secured tosaid front and back panels, said first end of said absorbent assemblybeing secured to said second zone of said front panel and said secondend of said absorbent assembly being secured to said second zone of saidback panel, and said absorbent assembly capable of being folded toenable said first and second side edges of said front panel to alignwith said first and second side edges of said back panel; and c) a pairof seams joining said front and back panels together at said first andsecond side edges to form a disposable absorbent article having a waistopening and a pair of leg openings, said article is designed to bepulled up around a user's torso without having to first open saidarticle.
 2. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein each ofsaid second zones is formed from the same material as said first zone,but wherein each said second zones does not possess extensible andretractable properties.
 3. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1wherein said second zone of said front panel has a smaller surface areathan said first zone of said front panel.
 4. The disposable absorbentarticle of claim 3 wherein said second zone of said front panel has asurface area that is less than about 25% of the surface area of saidfirst zone.
 5. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein saidfront panel has an inner surface and said absorbent assembly is securedto said inner surface, and said front panel has a first end and a secondend and said first end of said absorbent assembly is secured at alocation that is closer to said second end of said front panel.
 6. Thedisposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said back panel has aninner surface and said absorbent assembly is secured to said innersurface, and wherein said second zone of said back panel has a smallersurface area than said first zone of said back panel.
 7. The disposableabsorbent article of claim 6 wherein said second zone of said back panelhas a surface area that is less than about 30% of the surface area ofsaid first zone of said back panel.
 8. The disposable absorbent articleof claim 1 wherein said second zone of said back panel has a largersurface area than said second zone of said front panel.
 9. Thedisposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said second zone of saidfront panel is rectangular in configuration.
 10. The disposableabsorbent article of claim 1 wherein said second zone of said back panelis rectangular in configuration.
 11. The disposable absorbent article ofclaim 1, wherein said back panel is spaced apart, discontinuous anddistinct from said front panel.
 12. The disposable absorbent article ofclaim 1 wherein said first zone of said front panel encloses three sidesof said second zone of said front panel.
 13. The disposable absorbentarticle of claim 1 wherein said first zone of said back panel enclosesthree sides of said second zone of said back panel.
 14. The disposableabsorbent article of claim 1 wherein said absorbent assembly has a widththat is approximately equal to the width of each of said second zones.15. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said absorbentassembly has a width that is greater than the width of each of saidsecond zones.
 16. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 whereinsaid absorbent assembly has a width that is less than the width of eachof said second zones.
 17. A disposable absorbent article comprising: a)a front panel and a back panel, each comprising an elastic film middlelayer sandwiched between two nonwoven layers, each panel having a firstend, a second end, a first side edge and a second side edge, whereinsaid elastic film middle layer extends throughout an entirety of eachpanel, wherein each panel defines a first zone and a second zone, saidfirst zone of each panel being extensible and retractable, and saidsecond zone of each panel being deadened so as to be non-extensible andnon-retractable, wherein said second zone of each panel is spaced inwardfrom said first and second side edges of said respective panel andinward from said first end of said respective panel; b) an absorbentassembly including a liquid-pervious bodyside liner, a liquid-imperviousouter cover, and an absorbent positioned therebetween, said absorbentassembly having a first end and a second end, said absorbent assemblybeing secured to said front and back panels, said first end of saidabsorbent assembly being secured to said second zone of said front paneland said second end of said absorbent assembly being secured to saidsecond zone of said back panel, said absorbent assembly capable of beingfolded to enable said first and second side edges of said front panel toalign with said first and second side edges of said back panel; and c) apair of seams joining said front and back panels together at said firstand second side edges to form a disposable absorbent article having awaist opening and a pair of leg openings, said article is designed to bepulled up around a user's torso without having to first open saidarticle.
 18. The disposable absorbent article of claim 17 wherein saidabsorbent assembly has a width that is approximately equal to the widthof each of said second zones.
 19. The disposable absorbent article ofclaim 17 wherein said absorbent assembly has a width that is greaterthan the width of each of said second zones.
 20. The disposableabsorbent article of claim 17 wherein said absorbent assembly has awidth that is less than the width of each of said second zones.